4am coffee
by dhalpin3
Summary: Takes place after issue 8 of the Uncanny X-men (after Illyana consumed Limbo). Illyana and Emma have some quiet time, and some not quite quiet time. Got a bit more risqué then I planned but heck, Emma is Emma.


**4am Coffee**

Author's note: Takes place after issue 8 of the Uncanny X-men (after Illyana consumed Limbo). Illyana and Emma have some quiet time, and some not quite quiet time. Got a bit more risqué then I planned but heck, Emma is Emma.

3:47am.

Early.

Way early.

The worm is not yet up and the bird is still in the nest dreaming about a worm.

And if you think about it, who the heck wants to eat a worm anyway, yuck.

Illyana was slouched in the kitchen area of the supposedly new secret X-Base. Before her was a box of hot fresh New Orleans' beignets sprinkled with powered sugar (French version of the doughnut, vastly superior to any and all contenders) and a large to go coffee cup. Illyana was dressed in her usual black field uniform (the one with the short shorts and the... well boob window).

 _"Mmmmm"_ Illyana expressed satisfaction upon her coffee drink.

Ordinarily Illyana was not a coffee drinker. Vile bitter brown liquid was of no interest when delightful cups of tea were to be had. However, coffee based drinks were another story; and a rather new experience for her as well.

Double _"Mmmmmm"._ Even better than pumpkin space latte. This was the fictional character Rachel Morgan's favorite coffee drink (the author is Kim Harrison); a double latte with whip, cinnamon, and a shot of raspberry concentrate. Illyana made a mental note to visit the author to determine just how she was able to correctly determine what would taste so great to a demon's palette (yes Rachel Morgan was a female demon). Was it a lucky guess on her part or did she posses some secret demon culinary lore? If so then her secrets would soon be reveled. Soon. But for now. " _Mmmmm"._

Piping hot beignets and a good drink. What more could she ask for on an early Saturday morning. One advantage of being a teleporter was always being able to do takeout from anywhere. Combine that with time travel and food was always ready on time.

Then Illyana felt a disturbance in the force, or in this case the sound of approaching footsteps.

Emma walked into the kitchen wearing a white bathrobe (and nothing else underneath).

 _"Still keeping the odd hours I see Illyana. I hope you're not avoiding sleep"._

 _"No, I sleep when needed"_ Illyana replied after another long slurp. _"We've both been down that road once before"._

Emma sat down at the small table across from Illyana and hungrily eyed the beignets.

Illyana slowly ate another beignet while staring at Emma.

After a long silence and a brief flash of irritation upon Emma's face Emma asked if she could have some.

 _"Sure, help yourself"_ Illyana replied while pushing the box half way across the table towards Emma, and then taking another one.

Emma took one, bite it in half, and savored it. Perfection. Just the right temperature. Yum! She preceded to quickly consume several more after finishing off the one she had. Emma then got up and poured a glass of icy cold milk (Emma loved her milk just this side of frozen) and sat back down to consume just a few more (ok who am I fooling, half the box).

Silence all the while. Side note, Emma was a skilled negotiator and knew that when confronted with silence most people felt compelled to fill the void as it were; to talk. But not Illyana. No, she could remain mum while a house burned down.

After a long while Emma attempted to start a conversation. _"So how are you? Feeling ok"?_

" _Fine"_ Illyana replied after another sip. Again the long silence as Illyana ate another beignet.

 _"No you're not Illyana"_ Emma finally replied. _"You are not fine. I am not fine. Scott is not fine. Erik is not fine. Nobody is fine who touched that damn phoenix force. Fine is not hiding in some forgotten bunker. Fine is not having our powers broken. Fine is not sucking Limbo dry. Fine is not having a cold and empty bed. Fine is not having a complete lack of adult conversation and enjoyments. We are not_ _ **fine**_ _"._

Illyana mildly replied _"You sound frustrated Emma"._

 _"Yes I am"_ Emma replied with some passion. _"With this place, with Scott, with everything. I crave adult conversation and all I have is Erik, mister brood in private, Scott, currently my ex which crimps most conversations, and you. You are the closest thing I have to an equal and a rational adult to converse with. I'm bored and I want to talk"._

Emma was used to intimidating most people around her. The students, apart from the Cuckoos were properly in their place. Erik was, as always, standoffish. Scott was distant but she hoped to eventually mend their relationship. But Illyana was, as always, distinctly not intimidated by Emma. Something that slightly annoyed Emma and yet also pleased her (at least somebody she could get her bitch on with without them running away, crying, or getting huffy).

 _"Talk bout what"_ Illyana asked.

 _"If you were anybody other then you I'd want to know how you keep your skin so damn perfect. Or how you can indulge in eating such things as this whenever you want without gaining a pound. Or even in some catty girl talk about fashion, Ororo's poor taste men, Logan's multitude of hygiene issues, girly talk about what gets who off, or... something. Something not school or mission related"._

Illyana pondered Emma's question for a few moments while Emma got up and refilled her glass.

 _"Small talk is not really something I'm currently good at"_ Illyana finally stated.

 _"Bullshit. Small talk is something you mostly avoid. It's a form of sharing. Does Stephan let you get away with that wherever and whenever you are off training with him? When you were younger, and at the Massachusetts Academy, you were far more conversational with the other students even as you kept your secrets"._

Illyana found herself getting annoyed _. "That was before she, or I if you will, died. Leaves you with a whole new perspective"._

 _"Bunk. Why are you still here? You, out of everybody here, can go wherever you wish. Heck, can probably look like whomever you wish. Why did you decide to stick with Erik and help him bust Scott and I out of prison? Is this all part of some new nefarious scheme"?_

 _"I'm not plotting anything. Not doing much of anything except trying to figure things out. Trying to... well learn to be me, whoever she actually is"._

 _"Why stay with us"?_

Illyana frowned in thought. _"Because, odd as it would sound to some people we both know, I suppose I like you and Scott. We were good together as the Phoenix 5 even if that turned to crap in the end. It... It was nice belonging for once in my life. Being part of something, being trusted. Afterwards this was someplace to be and people to be with. I suppose I want what I used to have"._

 _"Even though people are still terrified of you"?_

Illyana took another long sip, _"Yep, lucky me. Literally the story of my life. Sometimes it feels like I've got a one way ticket to oblivion on the fecal express"._

Emma blinked, _"The what expresses"?_

Illyana smiled. _"Fecal express. It was a term that Kitty found while doing school work back when we were at Xavier's. It was about sea transport of material from the top level of the ocean to the deeps. Basically if something dies or poops the stuff or body falls down to the sea floor; or as one author apparently stated, gets on the fecal express to oblivion. Kitty thought that was hysterical and so did I. All the students started using the term and the Professor got rather cross about it. For a while there all you had to do was say cho-cho or I'm off to take the train and everybody would get the giggles"._

Interesting Emma thought. This is the first time I've heard her talk about her inherited past as if it was her own, or even talk about that past. And it's a funny story. Illyana tells a funny story. That is a first. Things have definitely changed since Dormmanu.

Illyana leaned forward and swiped a beignet. As she ate it she verbally returned Emma's probes with interest. _"Why so bitchy all of a sudden Emma? Is this another therapy session or am I just a convenient scratching board for some idle claws"?_

Illyana gestured with the half eaten beignet. _"Or are your frustrations more physical"?_

Illyana popped the remainder of the beignet in her mouth and spoke while she slowly chewed. _"More sexual perhaps? You did complain about your empty bed. Bet you woke up from a naughty dream that left you... unsatisfied"._

Emma briefly glared across the table at Illyana and then assumed an aloof gaze. " _The ins and outs of my love life is none of your concerns young lady"._

Illyana smirked and started to chant, _"Gotcha. Emma is horny. Emma is horny. Emma is horny, Emma is..."._

Emma actually started to blush, _"Stop that! You're acting like a 17 year old girl"._

Illyana leaned back, the fun slightly going out of the game for her.She flatly stated _"I was one once. Then that happened"._

Emma picked up another beignet and begin to nibble on it. _"Fine, if it will end your infantile antics, yes I was aroused and found myself unsatisfied. Happy"?_

 _"No but glad you clarified. Hope you don't expect me to do anything about that, not in the mood as it were. Guess you're left to your own devices"._

Emma slyly looked at Illyana. Was that an actual joke? Sounded like a joke, and a possible long term suggestion as well. Well Illyana certainly was more fun to talk to than Ororo or any of the other X-Gals. She knew how to use her claws better and apparently wasn't afraid to get right down to the hair pulling aspects of a good cat fight.

 _"Weeellll"_ Emma slowly replied. _"And what do you do to scratch the Itch as it were? Don't try to tell me you don't get the desire. I was in your head as part of the Phoenix 5 and while you guarded most of your mind I could still sense when you were physically attracted to somebody. Thankfully not Scott, not usually into sharing my men. You don't appear to interact with anybody in that way so... Do you just ignore it, take maters into your own hands or just magically zap it"?_

Illyana waved her left hand as if shooing away a fly, _"Sexual magic can be dangerous either singularly or with partners. Although likely all adapts play with it at least once. There are risks of excessive stimulation or even continual stimulation. Do it too much and you're mentally damaged or die with a smile on your face. Kind of like telepathy in that regards I suspect"._

 _"Correct"_ Emma nodded. _"I've always suspected some of the deranged telepaths had mentally diddled themselves too much as it were. I guess it makes sense for some of the deranged sorcerers as well"._ Illyana was much more fun to be catty with then Ororo and educational as well. Ororo had no problems wandering around naked but ask her about sex and it was instant prude (just add some self-righteousness and stir). _"Nice info blurb, but you didn't answer my question Illyana. Or are you just too shy to share"?_

 _"Not shy, just won't. What is that statement you like? A woman keeps her secrets"._

 _"Ok then, do you use magic to zap it"?_

 _"No, do you mind zap yourself"?_

 _"No, likely for the same reasons you don't zap yourself. Too risky. Although I guess all telepaths do it at least once as well. Hmm, just how high did you climb the mountain as it where when you tried; assuming you tried the magic path at least once"?_

 _"Don't really know, demons don't have the same thresholds that mortals have. Let's just say the knob goes way past 11 and leave it at that. Any particular reason you've decided to get all personal and intrusive all of a sudden"?_

 _"Somebody needs to peck at you Illyana. Challenge you. Question you. You need interactions. Everybody here apart from Erik is too scared to poke as it were; except for Scott and women issues is not his strong suit. Guess I'm it"._

Emma pushed the box of beignets back to Illyana (5 were left _). "Gods those are good. You are an evil woman to bring such things around. I assume that they are from the same place you grab the Saturday breakfast feast from"?_

 _"Yea"_ Illyana replied with a slight grin as she quickly ate two more. " _I noticed the last time I was there that they started selling them at 3:30am for the early morning folks. They make them only after they're ordered so they are as fresh as fresh can be"._

 _"Dreams still bad"?_ Emma inquired as she reached across the table and took one more.

Illyana replied after a few seconds, _"Yea, one of the constants in my life"._

 _"I have to say ever since that Limbo episode you appear more... Hmm how to say it? More complete"._

Illyana ate the one more beignet, now only one remained. _"I suppose I am. Stephan is... helping me understand some things about myself"._

The two women now looked at each other and at the one remaining beignet; then another disturbance in the force (more footsteps).

Erik wandered into the kitchen (behind Illyana) also wearing a bathrobe. _"Is that beignets I smell? By the Eternal I love beignets"._

Illyana turned around in her chair to reply. Would she have offered the last one? Was she going to share without being asked? Only Illyana would know as Emma suddenly spoke before Illyana could reply (a bit muffled as her mouth was now full) _"Umph. Just ate the last one"._

Illyana turned back around and shot an exasperated look at Emma (who definitely had the cat eating the canary grin as she ssslloowwllyyy licked her lips clean of the last of the powdered sugar and gave a sigh of pleasure). Illyana gave an exaggerated groan of long suffering and then vanished in a flash of light. Before Erik could give voice to his disappointment Illyana returned in another flash of light, now bearing a jumbo box of fresh beignets.

 _"Thank you Illyana, most kind"_ was Erik's mumbled reply as he commenced to gorge upon the little pieces of heaven on earth.


End file.
